Horses, when running, can have their tongues lift towards the roof of their mouth obstructing the airway and dorsal displacement of the soft palate. This soft palate acts like a flapper valve blocking the air flow to the lungs. This causes the horse to run slower and in the case of race horses can be a serious problem.
One way to solve the problem has been to surgically stitch the soft palate to hold it down. This procedure is costly and generally not that successful in that it is an unnatural solution that causes discomfort for the animal.
Temporary solutions have been to tie a strap about the tongue and lower jaw to hold the tongue down. This has resulted in being tied too tight causing blood flow to the tongue to be restricted causing the tongue to turn blue or alternatively being tied too loose causing the tongue tie down to be useless.
The tongue itself is a large, muscular organ containing blood vessels, nerves and three distinct muscles: the genioglossus, hyoglossus and styloglossus. These muscles control the movement of the tongue, which forms a key component in both the passage of feed in the mouth and in the airway of the horse. Horses that display unusual tongue positioning such as poking their tongue out should always have a thorough examination by a veterinarian, with close attention being paid to the fit of any tack used. It should be remembered that one of the main areas of contact of most bits is the tongue and in response to poorly fitted or inappropriate tack the horse may move its tongue to a more comfortable position. This may be perceived as a problem for riders but devices, such as tongue ties, should be used only with great care. A tongue tie restricts movement of the tongue and is most commonly used in racing to prevent restriction of the airway during exercise. Incorrect use of these devices can lead to severe injury and scarring of the tongue. When a tongue tie is used correctly the tongue is pressed flat across the mouth during exercise, and is one of the key factors in preventing dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP), a condition that affects some horses and can lead to problems with breathing during exercise. Dr. Shannon Lee DVM recommends the use of tongue ties and nosebands for horses experiencing this problem. These methods function to keep the tongue pulled forward (tongue tie) and the mouth closed (nosebands). The tongue is pulled forward and tied in place to the lower jaw of the horse using a soft cotton, nylon or leather strap which is tied together. Because of its attachments, pulling the tongue forward also bring the epiglottis forward. This creates a more secure positioning of the epiglottis above the soft palate. Using a noseband, drop noseband or figure eight, which is pulled tightly, will keep the horse from opening its mouth and pulling its tongue further back into the mouth, a movement that will sometimes exasperate a dorsal displacement of the soft palate if done properly with care.
The present invention replaces the prior art straps used for tie downs with a unique device that eliminates the potential for misapplication of a tongue tie down. More importantly, the device of the present invention is comfortable and more easily secured to the animal allowing it to be used and quickly removed after each exercise or race.